{"id":21702,"date":"2025-07-14T15:19:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T19:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=21702"},"modified":"2025-12-16T14:16:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:16:11","slug":"vin87","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin87\/","title":{"rendered":"Zenith Supersport"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Zenith Supersport<\/h2>\n<p>[Vin87]<\/p>\n<p>The Zenith Supersport ZWL-184-02, released in 1986, was a rare and advanced &#8220;luggable&#8221; laptop notable for its 4.77 MHz 8086 processor, 20 MB hard drive, electroluminescent backlit CGA LCD display, and robust MS-DOS compatibility. Its claim to fame lies in being among the early truly portable DOS-based laptops, featuring a full 3.5&#8243; floppy drive, internal hard disk, and battery operation at a time when most portables were heavy and less integrated, marking a significant step toward modern laptop design.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_23067\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"width: 400px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-23067\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Zenith Supersport\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20251216_190331473-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zenith Supersport<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Zenith Data Systems\u00a0(Japan\/USA)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Model<\/strong>: ZWL-184-02<\/li>\n<li><strong>Released<\/strong>: 1986<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Laptop<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $3,999 (CAD ~$13,700 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.33 (330 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Technical Specifications<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>CPU: Intel 80C88 CPU, switchable between 4.77 MHz and 8 MHz<\/li>\n<li>Memory (RAM): 640 KB standard<\/li>\n<li>3.5&#8243; floppy disk drive with 720 KB capacity<\/li>\n<li>20 MB ALPS hard disk drive (rare configuration)<\/li>\n<li>Display: 10.5&#8243; electroluminescent backlit CGA LCD with 640 x 200 resolution<\/li>\n<li>Graphics: CGA video output with external video connector<\/li>\n<li>Composite monochrome video and RGB color video outputs<\/li>\n<li>Modem (2400 Baud)<\/li>\n<li>Operating System: MS-DOS (versions including 3.21 and 6.20)<\/li>\n<li>Power: Battery-operated with 15 VDC, 3.1A supply; also supports 12 VDC in normal use<\/li>\n<li>Weight: Approximately 6.2 kg (about 13.6 lbs)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW136206418 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"marker:text-textOff list-disc\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"my-0\"><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: MS-DOS 3.21 and, in later years, up to MS-DOS 6.20. The system was fully compatible with standard IBM PC DOS software of its era<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright wp-image-21720\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Zenith Supersport\" width=\"353\" height=\"265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250715_164836791-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" \/><\/a>Supported Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>As an IBM PC-compatible running MS-DOS, the Zenith Supersport ZWL-184-02 could support a wide range of programming languages available for DOS in the mid-to-late 1980s. Notable languages included:<\/li>\n<li>BASIC (such as GW-BASIC or BASICA)<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft QuickBASIC<\/li>\n<li>Pascal (e.g., Turbo Pascal)<\/li>\n<li>C (e.g., Microsoft C, Turbo C)<\/li>\n<li>FORTRAN<\/li>\n<li>Assembly language (using MASM or TASM assemblers)<\/li>\n<li>COBOL<\/li>\n<li>dBASE (for database programming)<\/li>\n<li>Batch scripting (DOS .BAT files)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Rare and Advanced: The ZWL-184-02 is considered a very rare model among vintage laptops, notable for its 4.77\/8 MHz 80C88 CPU, 20 MB hard disk, and electroluminescent backlit CGA LCD\u2014features uncommon in 1986 portables.<\/li>\n<li>Early Battery-Powered Portability: It was among the first laptops to combine a hard drive, battery operation, and a backlit LCD, paving the way for modern portable computing.<\/li>\n<li>Place in History: The Supersport line was a top seller in the late 1980s, with Zenith capturing over 25% of the laptop market in 1988. It was the official laptop for Harvard Business School\u2019s Master\u2019s program in 1988, beating out IBM for the contract.<\/li>\n<li>OEM for HP: Zenith\u2019s Supersport 286 was rebadged and sold by Hewlett-Packard as the Vectra LS\/12, marking a rare instance where HP sourced laptops from another manufacturer due to Zenith\u2019s superior performance and features at the time.<\/li>\n<li>No Real-Time Clock: Unlike many later laptops, the ZWL-184-02 lacked a hardware real-time clock (RTC); users had to enter the date and time at each boot, a quirk noted by collectors.<\/li>\n<li>Nicknames &amp; Reputation: Sometimes referred to as a &#8220;luggable&#8221; due to its substantial weight (over 13 lbs), it was praised for its robust build and reliability. The keyboard is remembered for its satisfying, clicky feel.<\/li>\n<li>Battery Life Oddities: With two floppy drives, the system could run for up to 4 hours on battery, but with a hard drive installed, battery life dropped sharply\u2014an early example of the trade-offs in laptop design.<\/li>\n<li>Union-Made: Zenith claimed the Supersport was the only union-manufactured personal computer in the world at the time, assembled in Michigan by United Steelworkers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Dr. Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zenith Supersport [Vin87] The Zenith Supersport ZWL-184-02, released in 1986, was a rare and advanced &#8220;luggable&#8221; laptop notable for its 4.77 MHz 8086 processor, 20 MB hard drive, electroluminescent backlit CGA LCD display, and robust MS-DOS compatibility. Its claim to fame lies in being among the early truly portable DOS-based laptops, featuring a full 3.5&#8243; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Zenith Supersport - 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